Weather: Well, not frightful, but certainly wet and brooding. Rain and in the 40s today in the Seattle area. Touches of snow this morning to the southwest and east, but that will become rain soon enough.

Highway 2 closure: The stretch from Stevens Pass east to Leavenworth remains closed until further notice. Snow-laden trees have been toppling onto the roadway, and others are leaning perilously. Downed trees have killed two people and injured nine since Friday, in a pair of crashes about 15 miles east of the pass. If the hazardous tree conditions persist, WSDOT says they’ll try using a helicopter to blow snow from the trees on Wednesday.

Other travel headaches: Today, the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth ferry route is running on a two-boat schedulebecause of what the ferry systems says is a staffing shortage.

Done opening your presents? As you take a moment to consider how grateful you are and the challenges others face this season, you might wish take a look at the good accomplished through readers’ donations to The Seattle Times Fund for the Needy. To learn about the Fund for the Needy and one of the agencies helped by the annual fundraiser, see today’s story about the Atlantic Street Center, a nearly 103-year-old nonprofit that helps children succeed in school while supporting their parents and offering mental-health counseling. To learn how to donate online, click here. To print out a donation form, click here.

Electric car owners need to pay up: If you own an electric car, you may think this item means no good deed goes unpunished. Owners of electric cars in Washington state will soon be assessed a $100 annual fee to supplement road funding supported by state gas taxes.

Seahawks: Ok, ok, they don’t play until Sunday. But you need some kind of Seahawks fix today, right? Reporter Danny O’Neil has the latest on the Hawks and cornerback Richard Sherman awaiting results of the drug-test appeal.

About The Today File

The Today File is a general news blog featuring real-time coverage of Seattle and the Northwest. It is reported by the news staff of The Seattle Times and includes stories from The Associated Press and McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.